Thought you guys might find the following article interesting.
http://www.telegram.com/article/2007111 ... 40327/1002
Women's Fashion Frustration
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AMM
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The same article was in our local paper.
While I'm not a woman, and don't look at women's fashion from the same point of view, I must say that I've seen very little women's clothing in the past few years that I would have wanted to buy for anyone. No imagination, dull colors, timid styling -- a lot like men's fashion!
20-some years ago, when I got married, my bride-to-be was able to get tights in colors to match the rest of her outfit (she didn't go for white.) A decade ago, I could still find pretty "country" fashions for my wife in specialty catalogs, and my wife could find ruffled blouses and feminine-looking yet professional business suits.
But now? Each season, what's available in the stores and catalogs is noticably duller and more uniform than the last. Each season, fewer colors. Each season, fewer styles. Women's business suits all look like prison matrons' uniforms.
What amazes me is that I still see women dressed with a sense of style. I wonder where they're buying their clothes, because I don't see anything like what they're wearing in the shops, whether Sak's or Walmart. Maybe they're just wearing what they bought 10 years ago, and haven't bought anything since.
While I'm not a woman, and don't look at women's fashion from the same point of view, I must say that I've seen very little women's clothing in the past few years that I would have wanted to buy for anyone. No imagination, dull colors, timid styling -- a lot like men's fashion!
20-some years ago, when I got married, my bride-to-be was able to get tights in colors to match the rest of her outfit (she didn't go for white.) A decade ago, I could still find pretty "country" fashions for my wife in specialty catalogs, and my wife could find ruffled blouses and feminine-looking yet professional business suits.
But now? Each season, what's available in the stores and catalogs is noticably duller and more uniform than the last. Each season, fewer colors. Each season, fewer styles. Women's business suits all look like prison matrons' uniforms.
What amazes me is that I still see women dressed with a sense of style. I wonder where they're buying their clothes, because I don't see anything like what they're wearing in the shops, whether Sak's or Walmart. Maybe they're just wearing what they bought 10 years ago, and haven't bought anything since.
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crfriend
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That's hardly surprising as your "local paper" is likely owned by the same vast syndicate that owns our "local paper" (the New York Times).The same article was in our local paper.
That's a possibility, you know. If one buys good quality things (and doesn't either wear them out or toss them out) and takes care of them, they can last for years. For women, this can be harder to do because "fashion" changes so rapidly, but "fashion" has a way of repeating itself, and really classic looks never go out of style for either sex. Personally, I'm really hard on clothes, so even good quality items don't last all that long.What amazes me is that I still see women dressed with a sense of style. I wonder where they're buying their clothes, because I don't see anything like what they're wearing in the shops, whether Sak's or Walmart. Maybe they're just wearing what they bought 10 years ago, and haven't bought anything since.
For the most part, and I do keep an open eye to see how the ladies are dressed, the "fashionable" stuff that's available today is really pretty horrid; it might as well be burkhas. But a few somehow manage to rise above the blandness -- I'd like to know how they do it (or, better, as you say, their suppliers!). And this is in the 'burbs. (This is one thing I really miss about working in the Big City, but it's not worth the commute.) Maybe I should just ask....
Retrocomputing -- It's not just a job, it's an adventure!
Yes I agree, here too, especially the winter fashion is very bleak. it was just recently very grey and black. luckily now, there are bright reds, purples coming into it, so there is movement. I would think that on the whole, the fashion scene seems to be falling on its back copying the men's fashion.
If we talk the top price category, well just order it and get it. that's always been the case. It's the payable segment that counts. It sure looks as if the suits and dullness from the men's department has blown over to the women's.
But still, there are nice items to be had. What I think is a real killer, is stores that have very nice items, good quality, like skirts for round the 90 Euro mark, about 130 US dollars, quite reasonably upper end pricing, ( I more like the 50 to 60 euro limit myself and generally look for the 30 euro or under segment.) typical of the better stores, but they only have maybe one or max two of each size. So if you see something you like, and think about it, the next time you go to the shop to buy it, "no there are no more, we only had two in stock and are getting no new stock" is their answer. That really is a bad thing.
It is really difficult to size the situation up, as there is so much available, there is always something very nice there. even though it may only be sold in other towns than where you come, so you don't even know it exists.
It would be very nice to have a few specialists from the fashion world, on the forum who can give answers to fashion questions. Them being in the midst of it.
Peter v
If we talk the top price category, well just order it and get it. that's always been the case. It's the payable segment that counts. It sure looks as if the suits and dullness from the men's department has blown over to the women's.
But still, there are nice items to be had. What I think is a real killer, is stores that have very nice items, good quality, like skirts for round the 90 Euro mark, about 130 US dollars, quite reasonably upper end pricing, ( I more like the 50 to 60 euro limit myself and generally look for the 30 euro or under segment.) typical of the better stores, but they only have maybe one or max two of each size. So if you see something you like, and think about it, the next time you go to the shop to buy it, "no there are no more, we only had two in stock and are getting no new stock" is their answer. That really is a bad thing.
It is really difficult to size the situation up, as there is so much available, there is always something very nice there. even though it may only be sold in other towns than where you come, so you don't even know it exists.
It would be very nice to have a few specialists from the fashion world, on the forum who can give answers to fashion questions. Them being in the midst of it.
Peter v
A man is the same man in a pair of pants or a skirt. It is only the way people look at him that makes the difference.
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AMM
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Our local paper is owned by Gannett, the USA Today people. They're not bad, although their reporting is not of terribly high caliber (but whose is?) At least it's not a Murdoch paper.crfriend wrote:That's hardly surprising as your "local paper" is likely owned by the same vast syndicate that owns our "local paper" (the New York Times).The same article was in our local paper.
But that's actually irrelevant, as the article was syndicated -- any paper could run it. It costs money, but it's still cheaper than actually hiring people, especially people with any creativity or brains.
I remember someone making a distinction between "fashion" and "style," "fashion" being (more or less) what's popular, and "style" being a coherent (and compelling) "look." If you've got "style," the question of whether it's "in fashion" is irrelevant. On the other hand, fashion is easier: you just copy what's popular. You have to work at developing a sense of style [= it takes time], which is why women with "style" tend to be older.crfriend wrote:..."fashion" has a way of repeating itself, and really classic looks never go out of style for either sex.
I find that the clothes that wear out the fastest are my trousers, and in the crotch. Next fastest are the underarms of shirts and collars of turtleneck shirts. I suspect that looser garments, like skirts and jumpers [UK: pinafores] don't wear out as quickly, and I notice that my ex-wife is still wearing some jumpers and dresses from before we were married.crfriend wrote:Personally, I'm really hard on clothes, so even good quality items don't last all that long.
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SkirtDude
I also agree, that was very well defined in my way of thinking, what AMM said. So the sooner we guys get our style going the better.SkirtDude wrote:The people I really like are typically the ones that define their own style.AMM wrote: I remember someone making a distinction between "fashion" and "style," "fashion" being (more or less) what's popular, and "style" being a coherent (and compelling) "look." If you've got "style," the question of whether it's "in fashion" is irrelevant. On the other hand, fashion is easier: you just copy what's popular. You have to work at developing a sense of style [= it takes time], which is why women with "style" tend to be older.
Peter v.
A man is the same man in a pair of pants or a skirt. It is only the way people look at him that makes the difference.
I think I was the one who made that distiction, only I made it between fashion and marketing. It is however, important to distinguish between fashio, marketing and style. (I did not originally do that)
I'd like to ammend my original statement to:
Fashion is what designers try to sell to marketers.
Marketing is what ends up on the rack.
Style is what you make for your self.
What you guys are doing is creating your own styles from what is available.
I think that you are doing a great job of creating your own styles from what is available, what resonates with you and what compliments your bodies.
In some ways, women have had it easier. They have been presented with formulaic looks. Men is skirts are breaking new ground. Perhaps one of the things that you wrestle with is that you have rejected the traditional formulae and are now creating your own.
I'd like to ammend my original statement to:
Fashion is what designers try to sell to marketers.
Marketing is what ends up on the rack.
Style is what you make for your self.
What you guys are doing is creating your own styles from what is available.
I think that you are doing a great job of creating your own styles from what is available, what resonates with you and what compliments your bodies.
In some ways, women have had it easier. They have been presented with formulaic looks. Men is skirts are breaking new ground. Perhaps one of the things that you wrestle with is that you have rejected the traditional formulae and are now creating your own.